


all my love is wrapped in shades of red

by cassiopeias



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Gay Confusion Tobio, M/M, Sharing Clothes, Sharing a Bed, Tobio Plays The Piano, Undercut Hinata, enjoy whatever this is, i didnt intend this to be as long as it is, theres a bit of cursing but not that much so it stays g rated, theyre both confused but in love with each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 19:05:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11996079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassiopeias/pseuds/cassiopeias
Summary: Hinata got an undercut, and the events that follow let Kageyama realize that his feelings for Hinata extend beyond the friendly territorry.





	all my love is wrapped in shades of red

**Author's Note:**

> started this as a fun short fic about tobio losing his mind when hinata gets an undercut but.... as u can see..... yes. i edited this to the best i could, but since english is not my first language i am profoundly sorry for the mistakes and overall weird sounding sentences. please let me know if you have corrections! 
> 
>  
> 
> [the song that tobio played](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRGKY4FsuQY)

Kageyama is just practicing his serve when he hears some scuttle from outside the gym. He ignores it, knowing it’s probably Hinata. Initially, it’s been weird coming to school without seeing the short guy ahead of Kageyama and Kageyama racing with him to the club room, but Kageyama brushes off the weirdness of it.

 

What greatly surprises him, though, is that the one who enters the gym is Sugawara. Suga seems as surprised to see Kageyama practicing alone. “Oh, where is Hinata?” he asks, starting to stretch.

 

It’s not like Hinata is never late, but he is usually late with Kageyama, trying to challenge each other dumb things the second they see each other that results them coming into the gym later than they usually would. As peculiar as it is, Kageyama manages a shrug. His stomach feels unpleasantly tight, but he is sure he’s had proper breakfast and warmup.

 

After a few minutes of practicing, this time with Suga, Kageyama forgets the topic already. As it gets lighter outside, more members of the team trickle into the gym. Each and every one who is not Hinata asks where the redhead is. Annoyingly, they all ask Kageyama, as if he would know where Hinata is. It would make him feel a lot better if he does know, but he doesn’t, and it grates on his nerves.

 

The practice goes on for half an hour when they all hear the sound of someone running from outside. Tanaka and Nishinoya move to stand by the door, Daichi already his arm crossed, the coach is starting to rise from his seat, and Kageyama just keeps practicing.

 

As the door slides open, collective gasps can be heard. The first thing that explodes is Tsukishima’s laughter, followed by Tanaka and Nishinoya’s yell. If Hinata says anything, it’s buried in all the noises their teammates make. Even Coach Ukai is speechless, and Kageyama tries really hard to act like he isn’t overly interested.

 

The noise dies down to just a few _oooh_ , _wooow_ ’s and Kiyoko’s voice above everyone else, “You look really nice, Hinata.”

 

Everyone is spluttering and Kageyama can feel Hinata’s blush all the way to where he’s still standing by the net. He’s had enough.

 

He walks over to where everyone is circling Hinata by the entrance, a ball in his hand. Here, everyone is even louder, but he tries not to be annoyed. He points a finger at Hinata with his free hand. “You—”

 

Kageyama isn’t sure just what he’s currently looking at, but he realizes a good chunk of hair by the lower side of Hinata’s head is gone. Involuntarily, the hairs on his arms and the nape of his neck stand. Not trying to understand his own reaction, he cocks his head and frowns at Hinata. “What happened to your hair?”

 

Hinata, with his face still flushed but this time with a proud glint in his eyes, answers, “I got a haircut.”

 

Hinata got a haircut, and it’s an undercut.

 

* * *

 

 

After practice, the boys change clothes in the club room. Tanaka uses this as an opportunity to prod Hinata about his hair more. Kageyama folds his clothes, and sighs for what he feels the umpteenth time. He figures a change of topic wouldn’t hurt anyone, so he asks Hinata, “Why were you even late, dumbass?”

 

Somehow, the question makes Hinata turn into an alarming shade of red. This seems to pique everyone’s interest, even Tsukishima’s. “I, uh...” Hinata starts. “I was late because of this haircut!”

 

Here goes another conversation about the goddamned haircut. Tsukishima covers his bouts of laugh. “You impulsively got a haircut in the morning? What barbershop even opens at such early hour?”

 

“My dad cut my hair!”

 

Kageyama can admit, seeing Hinata all flustered proves to be beyond entertaining, but something is still quite amiss. Daichi speaks up, “Why couldn’t you have gotten your hair cut after school? Quite unlike you to miss the chance racing against Kageyama first thing in the morning.”

 

Before Kageyama can nod and agree with Daichi, Hinata flushes over once again. Aren’t his blood vessels tired? Hinata has been blushing quite a lot in the past hour.

 

The redhead mumbles a few words, unintelligible. Some of the boys ask him to repeat louder. “It’s Natsu...” Hinata scratches one spot at the back of his head. “I stayed up late and wouldn’t wake up this morning and she just cuts a patch of my hair... with a scissor. I didn’t want to go to school with a bald spot!”

 

The words dawn on everyone in the room and roars of laughter explode at once. Even Kageyama can feel a tug of smile at the corner of his lips. Next to him, Nishinoya is rolling on the floor. To his left, Tanaka is laughing really hard that he’s crying. Hinata, though, looks as embarrassed as when he wore his jacket as pants, if not worse.

 

Kageyama thinks what really gets to Hinata is when Tsukishima pushes his glasses up his nose and looks down at Hinata pityingly, a smirk adorning his face. The boy is ready to lash out, but Kageyama’s level of annoyed has reached new limits. He grabs the sleeve of Hinata’s uniform, taking the attention from Tsukishima. When Hinata turns to him, he realizes he’s truly clueless about what to say. In the end, he settles with a _let’s go to class_.

 

* * *

 

 

During afternoon practice, Hinata is in his top form. Kageyama doesn’t really want to know about it, but there’s a nagging feeling at the back of his brain. Hinata isn’t usually this self-confident about his performance, but right now... all Kageyama’s tosses are hit perfectly, the aim is eerily accurate, and somehow he manages to avoid balls to face the whole time. If only Hinata behaves like this during every match...

 

The team practices into the late afternoon, taking breaks here and there. It also doesn’t escape Kageyama’s notice that Hinata spends a lot of the breaks following Yachi around. Interesting.

 

After everyone is done cleaning the gym and changing, the first years gather to walk home together. Yamaguchi and Tsukishima—the brat—live in another neighborhood, so they take a turn while the rest keeps walking forward. They can hear Yamaguchi yelling something akin to wishing them a safe walk home, but Kageyama isn’t sure.

 

Ahead of him, Yachi and Hinata are talking animatedly about something Kageyama can’t be bothered to want to butt in. What does bother him is that how he’s left alone to his devices. It’s true, he doesn’t talk a lot, but it feels entirely peculiar that Hinata’s babbles aren’t directed at him.

 

“Right, Kageyama?” Hinata turns back at him. Just to annoy the shorter guy, Kageyama stares back at him in silence. Hinata narrows his eyes and mutters under his breath, Yachi is just throwing an unsure smile back and forth between the two guys. If Kageyama isn’t feeling particularly depleted, he most likely would flick the back of Hinata’s head. Which... reminds him of the new hair.

 

From where he’s standing, the back of Hinata’s head looks like a normal head. It’s quite surprising how strong the presence Hinata’s hair gives, it’s the same thing with Nishinoya, too. Maybe it’s a short people thing? The shaved part startles Kageyama the most—every single time. Come to think about it, it’s probably sheer luck Kageyama didn’t get distracted by it during practice earlier.

 

Kageyama blinks, and suddenly Yachi is gone. “Where’s Yachi-san?” he asks.

 

“Oh,” Hinata glances at him. “We passed her stop already.”

 

Kageyama matches his pace with Hinata’s and they walk side by side, the instinct to keep up with each other overwhelming. Kageyama’s neighborhood is just around the corner, but somehow he feels reluctant to reach his house too soon. “Do you want meat buns,” he coughs, feeling jittery in his skin.

 

The feeling settles when Hinata jumps in excitement as a response. He’s making many variation of elated noises, and Kageyama tries his best to feel annoyed. They stop by a shop and come out with meat buns, still steaming, in their hands. Hinata leans on the wall, his face is filled with unrestrained fondness while his eyes are on the food, and Kageyama hides the twitch of his mouth behind his meat bun.

 

“What’s up with you in practice earlier?” Kageyama finally asks. He is aware there is many ways this conversations can branch out, but he still asks, because listening to whatever Hinata says has grown on him.

 

Hinata almost chokes, but gulps down his food loudly. “Did I make a mistake!?”

 

“No, actually.” Kageyama frowns at his half-eaten meat bun. “How did you do that?”

 

The next second is filled with Hinata spluttering and preening at the same time, and Kageyama’s cheeks are shriveling up in sympathy with Hinata’s red ones. “I guess... I’m just feeling nice.”

 

“Nice?”

 

“People have been... saying nice things,” Hinata explains, or tries to. “I’ve gotten so many compliments today! People like my hair and it makes me feel nice!”

 

Kageyama knows he should be feeling happy about that. People are complimenting Hinata, and in turn it boosts Hinata’s confidence, which also boosts his performance in volleyball. So why is it Kageyama’s heart just falls to the bottom of his stomach and catches fire?

 

“Don’t let the compliments get to your head,” is what he says instead. His tone is harsh, but by now Hinata knows there is no malice behind it.

 

Hinata, the child, sticks his tongue out at him. “Just be happy for me, Kageyama-kun!”

 

In the short walk before they part ways, they bicker again, and Kageyama feels both like he’s walking on air and unbearably heavy.

 

* * *

 

 

The next day at lunch, Hinata comes over to Kageyama’s class with his lunch bag in hand. Kageyama can feel stares fall on their general direction, but he knows better than to assume that it’s solely because they’re surprised Kageyama has a friend outside class. It’s Hinata’s hair that steals the attention again today.

 

“Did you bring lunch?” Hinata implores, and Kageyama shows him his bento. Hinata’s classmates must have forgotten to bring their own, like they sometimes do, which brings him to have lunch with Kageyama.

 

They walk outside after Kageyama buys his milk, deciding on sitting on a patch of grass under a tree. The conversations are extremely one-sided, as usual, but it’s not like either of them minds. Kageyama messes with his phone a bit and put his music on shuffle. Judging by how Hinata isn’t complaining at his choice of music, he probably has the same taste of music as Kageyama does.

 

Hinata packs up extra lunch today, and so does Kageyama, because somehow deep down he already knew Hinata would bring extra lunch. He can’t possibly have less than Hinata, that’s just not fair, somehow. Lunch time doesn’t last that long, but it feels like they have forever, and somehow it attributes to the fact that they’re eating slower.

 

The wind ruffles their hair, and Kageyama realizes he’s staring when the mop of hair on Hinata’s head becomes the center of his consciousness. Has his hair always looked that soft? Is Kageyama only noticing this now? Kageyama grabs Hinata’s hair a lot, but without much thought into it, and now he just wants to _touch_ – possibly tangle his fingers around the strands.

 

Kageyama stuffs an onigiri into his mouth, pointedly directing his gaze elsewhere. He keeps the weird thought to himself, filing it for later when he can remember to think about it.

 

Back home, during dinner, Kageyama finds that it’s not very hard to remember what he thought earlier in the day. It seems like it effortlessly plants itself in the back of his mind. Involuntarily, his fingers twitch from the sudden desire to run themselves through the fluff that is Hinata’s hair.

 

Kageyama wonders if this is an okay thought to have. He was never this close with his teammates in junior high, he’s still entirely unsure of what having friends is like; do people think about combing their friend’s hair? Come to think about it, Sugawara and Tanaka ruffle Hinata’s hair a whole lot. Maybe Kageyama is overthinking it, because his head does start to hurt a little.

 

As he cleans up for bed, he finds himself thinking about Hinata again, though he’s not very sure when he really stopped. Does Hinata think about stuff like this about Kageyama, too? What can Hinata possibly doing at this hour? Is he brushing his teeth like Kageyama is, or is he already in bed? Is he staying up late tonight?

 

Should Kageyama be asking his parents about this? He at least knows that his parents do have friends, maybe they know what to do.

 

In the end, he just resolutely sighs, he doesn’t want to bother his parents so late in the night, after all.

 

It’s when he’s dressed in his comfiest pajamas, that he realizes his phone just lit up from a recent notification. He crawls into his bed and reaches for the device, but stops mid-air when he realizes it’s a text. It’s not uncommon, exactly, for him to receive text messages now, but it’s usually Daichi or the coach. This time, it’s Hinata.

 

Kageyama’s conversations with Hinata usually wind up being endless, because Hinata doesn’t know when to stop, but it’s already late, so maybe it won’t hurt to humor him for a while before bed.

 

_Dumbass: want to have lunch again tomorrow_

_Dumbass: ?_

 

Before Kageyama can stop himself, he types up a reply and sends it. It’s just a simple affirmation with a light insult, but somehow the mere knowledge that Hinata was thinking about him and sent him a text... it pleases him. There’s also the fact that Hinata is expecting his answer. It sends a fuzzy feeling down his torso as he burrows into his bed, but it’s entirely unfamiliar yet not unpleasant.

 

As his eyelids get heavier with sleep, he allows himself a small smile.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Kageyama has lunch with Hinata. They do it again the next day, and the next, and the next—it ends up being a routine. They don’t talk much during lunch, but somehow getting familiar with each other’s presence outside court intensifies their teamwork in volleyball. Tsukishima comments on it, about how ‘eerie’ it is, though Kageyama doesn’t know if it’s a bad thing, coming from Tsukishima.

 

It wouldn’t have been awkward, if it weren’t for the somehow knowing smiles Sugawara and Daichi send him. They’re past knowing their place in the team and that they’re teammates, the glances shouldn’t bother Kageyama as much as they do.

 

On top of that, their usually peaceful lunch bubble ruptures when Hinata asks this one thing: “Kageyama, what do you think about my hair?”

 

“It’s awfully bright. One of the main reasons you’re a great decoy.”

 

It’s not what Kageyama wanted to say, but even he doesn’t know what exactly it is he was trying to say except that. Hinata looks indignant at his answer, and his response at least brings a sense of normalcy to the moment.

 

“I thought it was my amazing reflexes and inhuman speed!” Hinata complained, throwing a chopstick at him. “Anyway, I was talking about the haircut! I’ve gotten comments on it, but not from you.”

 

“Why do you care about my opinion?”

 

“Well, you usually always shit on whatever I decide to do! It’s weird that you’re not saying anything now.”

 

Is that how Hinata sees Kageyama? He never means it like that. Come to think about it, their teammates also said something about him always saying unnecessary things to Hinata...

 

He clears his throat and Hinata raises a petulant eyebrow at him. “The haircut, it’s...” he starts.

 

“It suits you,” he finishes in his quietest voice without mumbling the words. It’s futile to hope that it will go unheard, he knows, because their surroundings are unbearably quiet and his voice feels like it’s almost booming. Glancing at Hinata’s wide eyes and slack jaw, he curses himself under his breath. He really shouldn’t have said anything, especially now that his face is heating up. For no reason.

 

The next second, Hinata becomes really loud. There are maybe some tears and hair grabbing involved, but those are on Hinata, he really shouldn’t doubt that Kageyama can compliment him, too.

 

“I won’t make a habit of it, dumbass!” is what Kageyama says, but from his smile, it seems like even a simpleton like Hinata knows Kageyama doesn’t really mean it.

 

* * *

 

 

It’s been almost two weeks since Hinata cut his hair. By now, Kageyama expects people to adapt to it, but—if Hinata’s recounts of people’s compliments are anything to believe—it doesn’t seem so. It’s not like Kageyama is the only target of Hinata’s retelling, because everyone on the team ends up just humoring him and even Tsukishima has learned to tune him out. But it’s really... weird, that it never fails to annoy Kageyama every single time.

 

The people vary from day to day—Kageyama doesn’t know how Hinata manages to interact with a thousand people a day—but the wording is always the same. _My classmate said my hair was cool!_ , _pretty senpais called me cute today!_ , _people really like my hair_!, etc. It gets on Kageyama’s nerves, but as much of an asshole he is, he can’t deny Hinata the joy of getting complimented. It doesn’t distract Hinata during practice, Hinata also doesn’t let it get into his head, so Kageyama doesn’t really have any reason to tell him to cut the crap. Even Kageyama himself has no idea why he wants Hinata to stop talking about these people so bad.

 

Kageyama doesn’t call himself a problem solver, there’s a reason he does so bad on exams that require problem solving, but he decides that by spending more time with Hinata, maybe he will find out the reason he’s always so irked.

 

On top of having lunch together, now Kageyama makes sure to always walk Hinata halfway home. Nishinoya has been calling all the time they’ve spent together as ‘bonding’, not that Kageyama completely understands what that is. It does show through their interactions, they don’t fight as much, now that Kageyama attunes himself to Hinata’s... everything and they learn to understand each other more. They still bicker, it’s a given, but it’s always light-hearted and Kageyama starts to enjoy these moments—he looks forward to them.

 

One afternoon after practice, Kageyama is walking home with Hinata, when the rain comes out of nowhere and starts pouring down on them.

 

“No!” Hinata squawks. “My house is still far!”

 

It’s when they’re looking for shelter that Kageyama realizes his house is just around the corner. If they run, they might make it without getting colossally soaked to the bone. Surely Hinata won’t mind.

 

“My house is nearby, but we have to run!”

 

His voice is slightly smothered by the rain, but Hinata seems to understand because they start sprinting together. It’s tricky with Hinata and his bike, and the rain is unforgiving, there are also the very high chance of them slipping but when Kageyama glances at Hinata, he finds the guy grinning. Water pools inside his shoes, yet he can’t find it in himself to be annoyed.

 

In front of Kageyama’s house, Hinata pretends he isn’t checking out the house. Somehow, instead of feeling honored, Kageyama feels extremely self-conscious. The rain must’ve gotten him sick.

 

“Sorry for the intrusion!” Hinata exclaims when they take their shoes off.

 

“No one’s home.”

 

“Like I was supposed to know!? I’m just being polite, you know.”

 

Kageyama answers by finding him towels to dry off. It’s starting to get colder outside, and the rain did a good job of seeping the cold under their skin, Kageyama can feel the shiver he’s suppressing. “Do you have clothes to change into?”

 

“Yeah, practice clothes.”

 

Gross. Guess Kageyama will need to lend Hinata his clothes. “Come upstairs, I’ll find some clothes for you.”

 

At this, Hinata narrows his eyes at him in suspicion. Maybe the rain made him wiser, because Hinata doesn’t say anything and just follows Kageyama upstairs.

 

It turns out finding clothes for Hinata proves to be tricky. Luckily there’s a pair of shorts with drawstring, so Hinata can adjust it. It’s the shirt that’s the problem. Kageyama tries and fails to find any shirt that fits Hinata. His parents donated away his clothes from grade school, and even if he still did have those, he doesn’t think Hinata would take it so kindly to wear grade school clothes. In the end, Kageyama hands Hinata some shirt from middle school that’s quite a tight fit on him, so maybe it won’t be too baggy on Hinata.

 

They take turns cleaning up, Kageyama first then Hinata. While Hinata is using the bathroom, Kageyama wanders downstairs to dump his dirty clothes into the laundry basket. It suddenly occurs to Kageyama that Hinata is a guest, what do people do with guests?

 

He guesses Hinata will tell him what to do, anyway. When there’s still no signs of the short guy, Kageyama circles his living room and ends up sitting on the piano chair. That reminds him, he hasn’t played the piano for quite some time, though his mom must’ve kept it clean for him.

 

Stretching his fingers and cracking his knuckles a bit, Kageyama finds his hands feeling light, like they do at his peak condition during volleyball. It feels like these fingers will do any impossible thing his mind wants them to.

 

The first few times his fingers are sloppy, always landing on wrong keys, but years of experience rush to him and he finds it easier by the minute. His fingers move swiftly over the keys, and he starts to close his eyes while playing. He must’ve forgotten how relaxing this is; volleyball has taken too much of his time—no complaining, though—that he doesn’t do this as often anymore.

 

Kageyama suddenly remembers of this one video of someone playing the piano, and the song sticks to him even until now. It’s a spring themed song, the tone is somehow bittersweet, and Kageyama remembers how he teared up listening to the song for the first time. They’re currently entering fall, and there are no blooming cherry blossoms in sight, but the rain makes Kageyama forget. This time he’s half aware of his fingers moving and playing out the song on the piano, and he’s lost in it.

 

Time is a blur while he’s playing, it might’ve been a century or a minute, no one is sure anymore. That’s when there’s a faint thud, loud enough for the air to carry the sound to him, and Kageyama’s fingers freeze. Right, he’s not alone. Hinata is in his house. Maybe he fell over while changing upstairs.

 

What Kageyama doesn’t expect when he turns around is to find Hinata, leaning on the doorframe, his hair damp and looking unbearably comfortable in Kageyama’s clothes, house, and palpitating heartbeat.

 

Right after thinking that, the world tilts, and only Hinata’s face comes into focus. It’s like Kageyama’s vision is zooming on his face but it’s so hard to look away, his eyes won’t obey him. Everything is in great detail: the unreadable glint in Hinata’s eyes, the parted lips, the slightly flushed cheeks—yet Kageyama still can’t get a read on him. This is the first time something like this happens, because before this Kageyama has always been able to understand the general idea of what’s running in Hinata’s mind.

 

Right about now, Kageyama can only suppress whatever it is that’s making him slightly jittery and bizarrely warm around the face area. He must’ve really caught a cold from the rain.

 

It gets awkward when Kageyama realizes at the same time Hinata does that they have been staring at each other in silence for quite some time. Suddenly, Hinata’s whole face transforms into a smile, the goofy, warm one he always wears and it’s so familiar the awkwardness perishes. The previously unnoticeable tension in Kageyama’s shoulders melts, making breathing easier. When did his breathing even get strained in the first place?

 

Kageyama averts his eyes and tries to find some answers from the clock on the wall. It says that it’s well past dinnertime. With a jolt, Kageyama realizes that the coach has told them to have eat once they get home.

 

“What do you want to eat?”

 

It takes an effort to ask that, especially while looking at Hinata. This feels weirdly personal: their situation, the atmosphere, the setting. There’s a weird part in him that wants to prove something to Hinata, though he’s not sure what that something is or why he wants it. Kageyama has a lot of questions.

 

Both fortunately and unfortunately, Hinata only answers the one he’s asked out loud, “Anything sounds good at this point. I’m starving.”

 

After both of them rummaging through the kitchen, Hinata finds a pack of instant noodles while Kageyama finds some leftovers. It’s quite convenient that Hinata doesn’t ask Kageyama any specific meal to cook from scratch, so they can start eating sooner. Kageyama ignores the disappointment filling his empty stomach.

 

Having dinner with Hinata is decidedly weird. The whole time they’re eating, Kageyama can’t stop staring at Hinata’s puffy hair once it dries. The shaved part is distracting again, as usual, but Hinata must be too hungry to notice the stares. Though they always have lunch together at school, right now inside the enclosed space and pressing walls of Kageyama’s house, the air feels intimate. Or surely it’s only Kageyama, because Hinata is happily slurping his noodles without a care.

 

He brushes it off as this being one of the bonding moments Nishinoya was talking about.

 

The cleaning up is quick, but now there’s nothing left to do. For the first time in his life, Kageyama doesn’t know what to do with his hands. While Hinata runs upstairs to find a way to dry his uniform, Kageyama takes it as a chance to circle the living room again, trying to burn off the unspent energy right under his skin.

 

Kageyama hears Hinata before seeing him, “Kageyama, can I borrow your dryer?” It’s so loud, it’s too loud, in Kageyama’s very quiet house. It’s not entirely bad, though, Kageyama thinks.

 

“Do whatever you want.”

 

Hinata appears with his hands full with his clothes, Kageyama makes no move to help him.

 

“I can’t hang it on your window frame, it’s still pouring,” Hinata explains, too fast, too loud. Not that it matters, it’s how Hinata speaks. He vanishes after Kageyama points him the direction to the laundry room.

 

It is still raining hard outside, which means Hinata isn’t going home anytime soon. The prospect of spending time with Hinata never conflicts Kageyama this much before, but his skin is vibrating and his bones are restless. His skin never fit him this badly, he might as well be somebody else.

 

When Hinata returns, he brings an entire whirlwind inside Kageyama’s stomach. It’s completely insane, he must really be sick.

 

It’s best to pretend nothing is going on, Kageyama knows, because Hinata will tease him if it’s found out. He ends up looking for some recorded volleyball games and put it on for him and Hinata to watch.

 

“Kageyama, when are your parents coming home?” Hinata asks as they settle into the couch.

 

“My dad’s away for business. Mom’s working double shift.” Their shoulders brush.

 

Unlike other times, Hinata seems to know when to shut up and doesn’t press harder on the subject. Kageyama is glad, the topic is too personal for him to discuss.

 

They make a variety of noises while watching. Hinata mostly yelling, Kageyama grunting and clicking his tongue, and it’s the noisiest Kageyama’s house has ever been for the longest time.

 

The comfortable atmosphere shatters when Hinata yawns. The clock shows half past ten. It would be too dangerous for Hinata to go home at this hour, and as expected, the rain is still going on strong.

 

“Are you sleeping here?” Kageyama finally asks.

 

“What, are you going to kick me out at this hour? While raining?” Hinata shoots back, indignant but it’s clear he thinks Kageyama is being serious. It’s entirely silly and not worth the time telling him it’s just a rhetoric.

 

“Just help me prepare the futon.”

 

Turns out, the only futons are in the master bedroom, which belongs to Kageyama’s parents and it’s locked—for whatever purpose he doesn’t care about. He only remembers this when he’s in the midst of rummaging through the closets in his house. It’s one problem.

 

Telling Hinata this is another problem. He looks as shocked as Kageyama is.

 

Having to share his bed with Hinata is another—very big and pressing—problem. One Kageyama really doesn’t want to deal with when he needs at least a little space from the short guy.

 

It’s easier to pretend it’s nothing, because Hinata actually looks a tad scared and very much hesitant. Kageyama knows this comes from his fear that he’s going to kick Kageyama in his sleep. Those camps had really taught Kageyama more than he’d like about Hinata’s sleeping habits.

 

They take turn brushing their teeth, and during Hinata’s turn, Kageyama finds it necessary to rearrange everything in his room to look less crooked and messy. The impulse doesn’t make sense, but it calms his nerves.

 

Getting into bed was awkward, and Hinata puts as much space as he can between them while not entirely rolling off the bed. Which is unfortunately is not much.

 

“Don’t hog the cover, dumbass.”

 

“I won’t! I never do that!”

 

Despite how nervous Hinata had been, he falls asleep fairly quickly. His breaths even out and taper off into soft snores.

 

It’s quite the opposite for Kageyama. He can’t help but keep throwing glances at Hinata’s back and head. This close, Kageyama can smell his own shampoo from Hinata’s hair. He’s seriously running out of words to describe how unsettled it makes him. There’s even no reason for it to be happening.

 

It’s maybe past midnight when Kageyama finally feels his eyelids getting heavy. The warmth from Hinata’s body is growing on him, the pattern of Hinata’s breath and the pitter-patter of the rain on his window eventually lull him to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Morning greets Kageyama with faint alarm sounds and slight haziness from lack of sleep. When he tries to remember why it had taken him so long to fall asleep, he realizes there’s weight on his arm. A very human weight. A very Hinata weight.

 

Kageyama attempts not to freak out physically, because Hinata is still heavily asleep. He turns off the alarm with his free hand with as little movement as possible. Recalling everything that happened last night, Kageyama can only heave a deep sigh. Thinking isn’t his strongest point outside volleyball, and this early in the morning, it only gives him a headache.

 

If anyone points out how he gives into temptation and sniffs Hinata’s hair, at least he can say he tried to stop himself, he really did. It smells so good.

 

There is also probably no way physics can explain how Hinata’s hair can stay upright all the time. When it dries, it gets impossibly bigger and puffier. Kageyama, as someone who has straight hair his entire life, can never sympathize.

 

This close, the shaved part of Hinata’s head is staring at Kageyama. It’s begging to be touched, frankly, so Kageyama can’t help but reach out towards it. It’s darker than the rest of Hinata’s hair, and Kageyama files this into his mind, though the information has no significance whatsoever.

 

The tip of Kageyama’s fingers barely graze the buzzed part when Hinata stirs. Involuntarily, Kageyama’s whole body twitch from the surprise. His knuckles don’t bump hard into the back of Hinata’s head, but it’s a close call.

 

Surprisingly, Hinata didn’t hog the blanket during the night, but now Kageyama doesn’t know what to complain about once Hinata wakes up. The fact that he’s warm and soft and pliant while asleep (when he’s not kicking Kageyama, at least)? Does that even count as complaining?

 

Kageyama shifts to get his arm free from under Hinata’s body. It’s completely awkward. Kageyama can’t help but be grateful that Hinata is still asleep and facing the other way, he’s pretty sure the heat on his cheeks aren’t just from sleep. After successfully getting his arm free, which fortunately doesn’t wake Hinata up, Kageyama crawls out of bed.

 

Trying to get out of bed without jostling Hinata proves to be quite difficult, but Kageyama manages it with a sigh of relief. Faintly, he can hear clanging noise from downstairs, from the general kitchen area. His mom must be home and wondering why there’s another—smaller, at that—set of shoes in their genkan and a bike propped on their fence.

 

With his footsteps lightly echoing the hall, Kageyama climbs downstairs and meets his mother’s eyes from where the woman is leaning on the counter. The stove is on and the smell from the cooking food travel through Kageyama’s nose. “Morning,” he says.

 

His mom is still watching him closely, not asking anything but waiting for his own explanation.

 

“I have a friend staying over.”

 

It’s clear to him, the surprise his mother tries to hide, and Kageyama tries his best not to be offended. Though, he supposes, it must come off as a surprise. Throughout middle school, Kageyama had never once brought a friend home to hang out or sleep over.

 

But then the expression on his mother’s face changes, and it reminds him of the time he got caught stealing candies. “A girl?” she asks. Kageyama is stuck between wanting to cry and laugh.

 

Finding and keeping friends are difficult enough for him, and his mother still ponders the possibility of him having a _girlfriend_? “What?” is what comes out of his mouth instead.

 

“The shoes in the genkan are small. They look my size.”

 

Before Kageyama can answer, as if on cue, Hinata appears at the bottom of the stairs. Kageyama has always been grateful for Hinata, but this time he feels like he can seriously hug the guy and buy him all the meat buns he wants. Kageyama never thought he’d be stuck in such an awkward situation with his mom, and the only time he is stuck in that awkward situation, Hinata comes as his savior.

 

Kageyama’s mother shifts her gaze to Hinata, and understanding unfolds behind her eyes. It’s not his fault if he honest to god let out a relieved sigh.

 

As the scene dawns on Hinata, the short guy immediately bows. “Good morning! I’m sorry for the intrusion!”

 

Kageyama’s mother, seemingly instantly, comes up to Hinata’s side and gets him to stand upright. She’s smiling wide, discreetly throwing quick glances back at Kageyama, and patting Hinata’s shoulder. It’s an unexpected sight, seeing his mother and Hinata in his kitchen.

 

Kageyama isn’t focusing on the conversation, but he’s pretty sure he hears his mother apologizing for assuming Hinata is Kageyama’s secret girlfriend whom he brought home just because of his small shoes. At this, Kageyama snorts when Hinata looks like he’s stuck between looking affronted and bashful.

 

“Kageyama rarely brings home friends, you can stay over as often as you like!”

 

It sure does feel like it’s a good time for earth to swallow Kageyama whole. He cringes behind his mother, but Hinata’s face doesn’t break into a smug, mischievous expression like he expects.

 

“I’m going to shower,” Kageyama announces, after a few minutes of absentmindedly standing there and half-listening to the conversation. His mom gestures him away, but doesn’t let Hinata leave. By now, his mom is asking Hinata all kinds of questions, and Kageyama wants to save himself before it gets too embarrassing.

 

After shower and the whole getting ready for school routine, Kageyama eats breakfast with his mom and Hinata. If anyone thought the conversation from the kitchen was spent, then be prepared to be wrong.

 

“Hinata-kun, where do you live?”

 

“Yukigaoka!” Chew, chew, chew, chew.

 

“Oh, that’s pretty far from here, isn’t it?”

 

Hinata swallows, and proceeds to tell her everything that happened yesterday. “It is. That’s kind of why I stayed over, it was raining hard nonstop...”

 

Unlike Kageyama, his mother doesn’t find Hinata’s loudness and chatters annoying. She finds him charming, if the taken look across her face is any hint. She starts asking about Hinata’s parents, and Hinata answers the questions seamlessly like he’s done this all the time. Which he probably has, because he has friends and most likely been to sleepovers.

 

The thought drags him to dark places, but before it can overtake him, he distracts himself by chewing on his chopstick.

 

It’s give or take half an hour before morning practice starts, but as usual, Kageyama and Hinata doesn’t want to lose to each other, thus them getting ready way earlier. Kageyama’s mother had been kind and lent Hinata some of Kageyama’s old clothes to practice in, even so far as to make Hinata his own bento.

 

With Hinata bowing to Kageyama’s mom, all flustered, Kageyama gets the upper hand of getting out of the house first. The illusion is shattered when his eyes fall on Hinata’s bike, though of course Hinata would never cheat. At this point, Kageyama’s long stopped keeping scores nor being sure of what their tiny competition is even about.

 

There is a ring of Hinata’s voice and the sound of door closing, and in a few beats, Hinata is already bounding right beside Kageyama. Noticeably bike less. “Where’s your bike?”

 

“Left it at your house,” comes the easy response. At Kageyama’s raised brow, Hinata elaborates, “I can pick it up later! Your mom is working double shift again and she said I can come over any time.”

 

Kageyama wants to be angry but he really can’t find it in himself to be. The company isn’t that bad, he admits, and he can’t help to be bothered at how defensive Hinata sounds. It was an innocuous wondering. It’s not like Kageyama was intending to yell at him for it.

 

The air is crisp this morning, smelling like earth from the rain the night before. It puts Kageyama in a good mood, and from the way Hinata’s eyes are shining and the edge of smile on his lips, it does the same to Hinata, too. In its way, it lightens Kageyama’s steps.

 

It was his first sleepover since the longest time. A burden has been lifted from his shoulders by knowing he wasn’t that terrible of a host. Admittedly, there’s still the harmless weight of the feeling of his legs tangled with Hinata’s own, Hinata’s warmth seeping into him, but he prays it will gradually stop bothering him.

 

No one is in the gym yet except for them when they arrive, so they go up to the club room and lounge around in front of the door. Kageyama leaning on the locked door, Hinata on the railing. This has become a routine—them arriving earlier than everyone—but none of the upperclassmen complained, so it’s cool.

 

“Hey, Kageyama.”

 

Here it comes, the mindless conversations. This one, Kageyama is still getting accustomed to.

 

“Thanks for, you know, letting me stay last night.”

 

It’s unexpected, catching Kageyama off guard. Hinata isn’t... particularly known for showing gratitude to Kageyama.

 

“It’s okay. We’re friends.” It comes off gruffer than he intended, but it’s good enough because Hinata is excitedly bobbing his head up and down. Maybe because he knows how big it is for Kageyama. Friends are a foreign concept he’s yet to grasp, not after middle school and whatnot, but Hinata is unbothered by that fact.

 

It keeps Hinata in a good mood throughout the morning practice, and when they walk together to class, it’s Kageyama’s mood that soured. People are throwing glances and though usually Kageyama doesn’t mind, he hates the prying eyes now. All he wants to do is throw himself at Hinata as a shield—or to shield himself, he’s not sure yet. But Hinata—stupid, oblivious Hinata—is just smiling and greeting everyone.

 

They reach Hinata’s classroom first. Some classmates are already calling out Hinata’s name—it dampens Kageyama’s mood even more—but Hinata is fidgeting with his bag strap. “Lunch together later?” he asks.

 

It’s ridiculous for Hinata to even ask when it’s what they’ve been doing, anyway. Kageyama doesn’t comment.

 

“Of course.”

 

* * *

 

 

They have lunch, they have afternoon practice, and they walk home together, as usual. Kageyama feels as though something has shifted in his and Hinata’s dynamic. It’s softer and subtler now. It’s not unpleasant—the opposite, actually—but it’s been driving him crazy. To him, the change is palpable, but no one seems to notice, even Tsukishima who he was so sure would be teasing them about it.

 

Asking Hinata would be futile, the guy is as sharp as a volleyball.

 

Kageyama’s house is empty again, as his mom promised. This time it’s slightly more awkward, because Hinata is here with no other purpose except to hang out with him. Voluntarily. The concept is giving him shivers.

 

Hinata adapts well, Kageyama knows, but it’s jarring to see the guy maneuver around his house like he’s been coming over more often than this. His gakuran is thrown carelessly over the back of a chair before he throws himself onto the couch in front of the television. He runs through the channels for a while before settling for some anime reruns.

 

It takes a few moments for Kageyama to tell his legs to start working again. When they obey him, the steps are dragging, half of it is Kageyama’s fault. It’s not supposed to be heavy, but it is.

 

Whatever moment Kageyama was having, it’s shattered when Hinata glances at him sinking into the free space on the couch. “Are you not going to serve me, your guest, dinner?”

 

Kageyama doesn’t throw the remote at Hinata’s face, but nearly so. He doesn’t let Hinata know he’s grateful for the cheek, it breaks him out of his reverie, after all.

 

This time Kageyama’s mom left some food Kageyama can simply reheat, and dinner goes relatively fast. Something is wrong again, he realizes, when his heart flutters inside his ribcage whenever Hinata throws him a glance. What’s the point of the glances, anyway?

 

They wash the dishes in silence after that. It’s quite jarring because Hinata is usually so loud.

 

“Why are you so quiet, dumbass?”

 

Hinata hums. What an idiot.

 

“I asked you a question.”

 

“I heard.”

 

“Then, answer? The fuck?”

 

Hinata rolls his eyes. Rolls. His. Eyes. At Kageyama. “I thought by now you would’ve realized that I get quiet when I’m focused. At least semi-quiet.”

 

Kageyama looks at his hands buried in the bubbles from the dish soap, then back at Hinata. “Washing dishes requires focus?”

 

The shorter guy tries to hide—fails—the fact that he’s blushing by huffing and puffing until they finish drying off the dishes. At least the atmosphere isn’t as tense as it was when Hinata kept to himself.

 

As the clock strikes the time for Hinata to go home, Kageyama finds himself uncomfortable in the way he usually is around Hinata for the umpteenth time for the past week. What should he say?

 

Fortunately, Hinata takes it upon himself to say his farewell before Kageyama can embarrass himself. “Thanks for today, Kageyama-kun. Say hi to your mom, too.”

 

Hinata turns his bike and shoots Kageyama a teasing smile. His smile turns less playful and more sincere when he speaks again.

 

“I had fun.”

 

With that, he hops on his bike and pedals away, leaving Kageyama’s heart thundering inside his chest.

 

 

 

When Hinata disappears out of sight completely, Kageyama walks back into his house and closes the door behind his back. It might have taken either a minute or an hour to settle his heart. The silence in his house, without Hinata, is now just imposing. He has half a thought to play the piano again, but the unreadable expression Hinata wore after seeing him play just yesterday is still fresh in his memories. It’s also too early to think about Hinata again. He usually reserves a time late at night to overthink about absolutely anything his mind can fixate on. The subject of his fixation these days seems to be Hinata.

 

Kageyama absolutely does not read too much into that.

 

* * *

 

 

Weekend passes by really quick, accompanied with practice and Hinata’s seemingly incessant texts. Not that Kageyama is really complaining about either. The practice? Going as well as it can be. The texts? Getting more and more trivial each time but never stops being entertaining.

 

The last thing Hinata texted him is something about the lint collecting in the bottom of their pockets has a name, not that Kageyama really remembers. When asked about how he knew it, Hinata simply said it’s on his sister’s kids magazine. Not knowing nor experiencing the whole siblings thing, Kageyama never responded.

 

Kageyama woke a bit later than usual this morning, resulting Hinata getting to the gym before him. There’s already the squeak of rubber against wooden floor, the thump of ball, and the almost inaudible grunts after successful spikes.

 

Sugawara is tossing to Hinata when Kageyama enters. “Good morning,” he greets quietly, and Hinata pauses mid-motion, missing the ball.

 

“Oh, hey, Kageyama! Took you long enough!”

 

It’s too early for Kageyama to be assaulted by the loudness of Hinata’s voice, but a glare is enough to send Hinata scurrying back to Sugawara’s tosses. Compared to Kageyama’s tiredness from lack of sleep (caused by staring too much at his phone screen, waiting for Hinata’s texts), Hinata seems pretty normal and as chipper as usual, if not more energetic.

 

While stretching, Kageyama observes Hinata and Sugawara. The haircut on Hinata is still jarring, though it’s noticeable that the buzzed part is already growing back. There’s a twinge of disappointment that Kageyama intently ignores.

 

Sugawara’s tosses aren’t half bad as he claims, seeing how communication and hard work contribute a lot to his skills. As Kageyama stares at Hinata making a request about how he wants the toss to be and Sugawara reassuringly smiles at him with a nod, Kageyama can’t help but think how much the team would improve if he himself tried to do the same. It’s not something that comes easy to him, and he can already envision the shocked stares he will get if he tries doing that anytime soon.

 

The gym doors slide open to reveal Yachi. When she sees Kageyama stretching, she shoots him a smile and a nod. That’s a lot of improvement on her part. In the beginning she would always bow a perfect ninety degree and shakily yell out formal greetings, but things have gotten a lot more casual. Kageyama doesn’t even shy from talking about his volleyball and even general worries with Yachi, and Yachi isn’t intimidated by him anymore.

 

Hinata is taking a pause by the time Kageyama finishes stretching, so he only has Suga to practice with. “Kageyama, do you mind tossing to me?” Suga asks. It induces a tilt of the head on Kageyama’s part, but he says yes nonetheless.

 

A few minutes of tossing to Suga, he calls for a break. Instead of going to where his water bottle is perched, Suga picks up a stray ball and twirls it on his finger. Kageyama glances at him curiously when he gets closer.

 

“You and Hinata... you guys are really close these days, huh,” Suga says, tossing the ball straight up again and again.

 

It’s not clear whether it’s something that demands an answer, but Kageyama responds anyway to be polite. “I guess.”

 

“Those few days when you guys didn’t talk earlier this summer...” Suga chuckles. “That scared me, if I were to be honest. I’m glad you’re both good now. It’s really something noteworthy. To me at least, though I’m sure the others think that way, too.”

 

“Oh, okay,” Kageyama mumbles. Suga doesn’t say anything again, which makes the whole thing even more bizarre. Really makes one wonder about what the whole point of the conversation is.

 

Morning practice comes and goes. Kageyama walks up to his class with Hinata in tow, though they part when Kageyama reaches his class first. After a promise of lunch at their usual spot, Hinata calls out a goodbye and enters his own classroom.

 

Lunch is a relatively quiet—as quiet as Hinata can be—affair. It’s broken by Hinata, when he looks up at where Kageyama is sitting a bit higher on the slope of grass. “Hey, Kageyama.”

 

“Hm?” is the only response Kageyama gives while his mouth is preoccupied with chewing.

 

Kageyama lifts up his eyes and finds Hinata staring at him, with the same imperceptible look he had during the rainy day in Kageyama’s house. Flushed cheeks, intensely focused gaze, this time even with a bit of lip biting. Gears shifts in Kageyama’s head, but it never reaches conclusion before Hinata moves his gaze somewhere else. “’S nothing.”

 

“Your hair is growing already,” Kageyama notes after gulping down food. Hinata’s shoulders slump down a few inches, but Kageyama doesn’t comment on that.

 

“Ah, yeah. Do you think I should shave it again? You said it suits me.”

 

The forced lightness in Hinata’s voice isn’t lost on Kageyama, though what it may mean is. Kageyama hopes he’s not making a mistake by ignoring it completely.

 

“Well, you sure liked the attention,” Kageyama responds. It sounds a lot more bitter than he intended, which both explains and complicates the weight in his stomach that’s totally not food.

 

Hinata gives out a small, uncharacteristically soft laugh, but Kageyama can’t see the expression he’s wearing and doesn’t intend to. The fear of what he may see is uncalled for, but for now he just wants to pretend he doesn’t feel like he may have done something wrong.

 

“Yeah, you’re right,” is what Hinata settles with.

 

Whatever progress they have been making the past few weeks, it’s almost as if Kageyama can feel it physically backtracking. Something in the foundation of their friendship is crumbling, and as always, Kageyama can only hope Hinata will be the one to initiate doing something about it.

 

* * *

 

 

Afternoon practice comes and unexpectedly, Kageyama’s steps feel heavy. There’s the weight of seeing Hinata and walking home with him resting on Kageyama’s shoulders. After the awkward lunch, Kageyama prefers to not see Hinata for a while.

 

Before he can seriously consider skipping practice—scandalous, totally—someone by the gym doors is already calling out for him. It’s Yachi he sees when he looks up, and her expression unsettles him.

 

“Kageyama-kun,” she greets, biting her lip as he nears. “Did you see Hinata while you were on your way here?”

 

With a slight tilt of the head, Kageyama shakes his head. Maybe Hinata’s class is getting dismissed later than usual?

 

“I went to pick him up on the way here, but he wasn’t in his class and his stuff is gone.” Yachi fiddles with her phone, face still pale. It’s a futile effort for Kageyama to try and comfort her, so he doesn’t try.

 

“Let’s just wait,” Kageyama tells her. Meanwhile, he’s having a war with himself. It’s quite relieving not to see Hinata so soon, but worry gnaws at his mind.

 

Half an hour later, still no sight of Hinata and Coach Ukai huffing and puffing, Daichi finally takes it upon himself to start the practice without Hinata. They have been drawing out the stretching long enough, but to wait for Hinata even longer will just waste time. Some part of Kageyama is offended for Hinata’s sake, but the rest of it is just a plethora of feelings that kick him right in the gut.

 

Hinata never skips practice unless he’s absent from school, a few times he even went as far as attending practice even when he wasn’t in class.

 

The practice ends up being unconducive, for Kageyama at least. His focus is all over the place, his tosses aren’t as accurate as he wants them to be, Coach Ukai is yelling from where he’s tensely perched on the bench, and Hinata isn’t around. It’s after a few minutes of Takeda-sensei calming down the coach that they’re allowed to practice on their own.

 

Yachi offers him a water bottle as he steps out of the court. Sweat that he feels like he doesn’t deserve shedding is drenching his shirt. He drops to a crouch, then decides to let gravity pull his butt onto the ground. Yachi follows suit with decidedly more grace, but Kageyama doesn’t ask why the company.

 

“Did... did something happen with you and Hinata-kun?”

 

Ah, the dreaded question.

 

“I’m honestly not sure.”

 

Either because of her own nerve or it’s very obvious that Kageyama himself is confused, Yachi only nods and doesn’t prod more. “I think, it’s best to give him time and space for now,” she supplies.

 

“You might be right,” Kageyama replies simply, even though he’s profoundly grateful that Yachi isn’t forcing him to talk to Hinata.

 

* * *

 

 

Things might have turned out to be okay if Hinata hasn’t been skipping practices for four days straight. Every lunchtime Kageyama always makes sure to see if Hinata is up for a lunch together, but he’s nowhere to be seen. Initially, he and the team thought Hinata caught the flu or something. After Kageyama asked one of Hinata’s classmates, though, it’s revealed that Hinata goes to class just fine.

 

At this point, Kageyama is just pissed. All the promises Hinata made when they first knew each other now just vaporized. How is Hinata going to defeat him if he doesn’t even go to practice? Yachi has been the voice of reason to Kageyama the whole time, reminding him there might be something else happening at home, but somehow Kageyama just knows Hinata is outright avoiding him.

 

The thought of Hinata skipping volleyball just to avoid Kageyama makes him excessively angry. There’s hurt in there somewhere, but nothing should be more important than volleyball if they want to take on the world stage.

 

The anger dissipates a little when, out of the blue, the team is talking about visiting Hinata’s house. No one visits that much because of the distance, but this time it’s a consensus that it’s apparently necessary to check up on Hinata.

 

“The whole team can’t just show up like that,” Daichi decides. “Kageyama, can you visit Hinata as our representative?”

 

Words is an abstract idea for Kageyama as everyone’s heads turn to look at him. He supposes it’s a convenient decision to make, since Kageyama is the closest person to Hinata in the team. The expectant looks shot in his direction aren’t exactly helping, either.

 

With a nudge of Yachi’s elbow grazing his side, Kageyama agrees to do it. If his voice comes out shaky, no one points it out.

 

Their teacher and coach agree to cancel afternoon practice today, since practice hasn’t been the same without Hinata, anyway. The team collects money to buy fruit basket for Hinata from Coach Ukai’s store, not minding their coach’s insistence that it’s on the house.

 

Kageyama gets a bit of a bus route lecture from Sugawara. Yukigaoka is around ten to fifteen minutes away by bus, depending on the stops, but by the third time Suga recites it to him, Kageyama is sure he’s got it.

 

They part ways with cheerful goodbyes and handful _good luck_ ’s. It’s awkward enough for Kageyama to ride a public transportation since he usually just walks, but the circumstances don’t allow that for now and on top of that, he’s carrying a considerably big fruit basket.

 

He counts himself as lucky because the ride is quick with no strangers initiating human interaction with him. There are some furtive glances thrown his way from what he presumed are schoolgirls, but if anything, the attention makes him kind of want to curl up on himself.

 

Getting off on his stop, Kageyama reads the address typed into his phone. Hinata’s house isn’t far from the stop according to the GPS on his phone, but he still feels nervous about getting lost.

 

A few minutes of walking, following the direction on the map, Kageyama stops in front of a traditional looking house surrounded by lovely trees with steadily yellowing leaves. With uncertain steps, he walks towards the door and braces himself before knocking.

 

Kageyama didn’t know who he expected to open the door, but a brown haired woman who seems like she might be Hinata’s mother never crossed his mind. He has to remind himself that his home life experience doesn’t apply to everyone.

 

“Oh, are you Shouyou’s friend?” the woman asks, and judging by the brown eyes and friendly smile, she must really be Hinata’s mother.

 

Kageyama greets her with a bow. “Yes, I’m Kageyama Tobio from his volleyball club.”

 

“Wow, you’re Kageyama-kun, I’m Shouyou’s mom. I’ve heard so much about you. Come in!”

 

With this amount of warmth and sense of welcome, it’s very hard to say no. “Sorry for the intrusion,” he politely calls out. After taking off his shoes in the genkan, Kageyama enters the house and finds Hinata’s mother waiting for him with a smile.

 

“This... is from the volleyball club,” Kageyama says, holding out the fruit basket with a slight bow. There’s question in the woman’s eyes as she accepts the basket. “We figured Hinata must be sick. He hasn’t been at practice for a few days.”

 

“That’s, oh... thank you very much,” she replies. “Hinata is in the backyard, if you want to see him.”

 

The last sentence shoots right through Kageyama, because it’s heavily implied that she knows Kageyama might not want to see him. Maybe it’s just him overthinking.

 

It’s easy enough to find the backyard, the sliding doors are open and there are distant voices from outside. As he gets closer, Kageyama can hear the familiar thumps of volleyball against wrists. He stops at the threshold, and finds a tiny girl sitting on the steps, hair as bright as Hinata’s.

 

That must be the legendary Natsu.

 

With a clear of the throat, Kageyama steps out to the backyard. Natsu looks up from where she’s sitting, and Hinata stops to also look at him. The shock is enough to send the ball falling onto the ground, but Hinata quickly schools his expression back to neutral. Natsu is still peering up at him curiously, and Kageyama doesn’t exactly have the best relationship with kids, so he’s keeping a distance from her.

 

“Natsu, do you mind finding me my hair tie?” Hinata asks his sister as means to leave them alone, Kageyama supposes.

 

When Natsu leaves, Kageyama decides to break the silence. “I didn’t know you wear hair ties.”

 

“Yeah, well... guess there are things you don’t know.”

 

Awkward is an understatement of the century. Kageyama has fought with Hinata, and saying harsh things they don’t actually mean are something that doesn’t come as new, but this time he knows Hinata wholeheartedly means the jab.

 

“Hinata,” Kageyama starts. He never knew his breath could hitch like that. “What did I do.”

 

Hinata twirls the ball in his hands and lowers himself to sit where Natsu was just sitting a minute ago. “It’s nothing. I’m just trying to sort something out.”

 

“Alright.” Kageyama approaches Hinata’s side, and when he’s pretty certain he will not get blown off, he sits down next to him. Just to make sure, though, he puts a safe distance to not disrupt Hinata’s personal bubble but still feeling his warmth. Not that Kageyama needs to think about Hinata’s warmth.

 

“You haven’t been to practice,” Kageyama remarks. He’s satisfied with how it doesn’t come out as accusatory, but he can still feel Hinata tensing up. The nervousness dissolves a little when Hinata relaxes again.

 

“Why did you assume you’ve done something to upset me enough that I don’t go to practice?”

 

The length of the question and the question itself catch Kageyama off guard. It takes a moment before Kageyama calms his nerves down enough to answer. “You started skipping practice after the last time we had lunch.”

 

“That’s all?”

 

“No,” Kageyama adds. He considers talking is important this time, no matter how awkward it is. There’s a reason he’s been entrusted to check up on Hinata. “I asked your classmate but you go to class just fine. You only disappear when I’m about to pick you up for lunch.”

 

At this, Hinata huffs coldly, which is something that Kageyama would never expect coming out of Hinata. “I distinctly remember my friends telling me the scary guy next door has been looking for me.”

 

Silence engulfs them until there’s the tapering of tiny footsteps getting louder and Natsu reappearing. What Kageyama assumed as something to get Natsu to leave them alone is actually a legitimate request. She has a plain hair tie between her fingers and a brush in her other hand, and Hinata smiles at her while vaguely gesturing towards his hair.

 

Kageyama never knew how long Hinata’s hair is, hidden by the curls, until Natsu pulled it into a completely innocuous ponytail that somehow makes Kageyama’s stomach tighten at the sight. With his hair out of his face, Hinata looks different, to say the least. It’s like Kageyama’s world has been flipped upside down, his heart is racing and he’s getting dizzy.

 

The sight is entirely new, especially with it being up in his face. It doesn’t take a long time for Kageyama to find that he actually thinks Hinata looks good right now. He clears his throat to gain Hinata’s attention, which succeeds in making himself even more flustered because Hinata is _looking_ at him.

 

“Just,” his voice cracks. Fuck. “Everyone is worried.”

 

This time the words seem to have an effect on Hinata, because the guy raises his eyebrows in honest surprise and then looks back down at the ground. This is Kageyama’s least favorite Hinata.

 

“I’m sorry,” is what Hinata says. It’s sincere but way too sad. What would Sugawara or Daichi say at times like this? Or, heck, even Oikawa? The guy is a captain after all.

 

“No, it’s,” Kageyama tests the water. After he deems it won’t be too weird coming out of his mouth, he continues. “Don’t apologize. Just come to practice. At least let everyone know that you need a break.”

 

Although seeing from how Hinata still practices on his own, it’s clear that it’s not volleyball that Hinata needs a break from.

 

“Yeah. It gets lonely. Feels like I’m back in middle school without a team.”

 

To respond to that is basically stretching Kageyama’s ability in pep talks, and it doesn’t sound like Hinata demands a response, anyway. Kageyama just hums back. The heaviness of the silence eases little by little as the minute draws. It’s almost bearable until Natsu breaks the calm and Kageyama pretends he doesn’t jump from the noise.

 

“Are you the one who’s been making my brother sad?”

 

The only intelligent answer Kageyama offers is, “Huh?” while Hinata is trying to cover Natsu’s mouth.

 

“My brother said his frie _hmmmm_ —”

 

“Natsu, shut up!”

 

Either Natsu is extremely strong for a kid, or Hinata just doesn’t put a lot of effort in shutting her up. “Why do you not want me to help you!”

 

“Natsu, it’s nothing. Just go inside,” Hinata commands—very shocking—in the calmest tone Kageyama has ever heard him speak. Albeit being a kid, Natsu notices how unusually serious Hinata is being, so she decides to listen to him and walks back inside.

 

It gets awkward again pretty quick. Hinata doesn’t say anything, and Kageyama wants to inappropriately laugh just to break the ice. Will Hinata be offended if Kageyama makes fun of his ponytail?

 

Turns out Kageyama doesn’t have the chance to find out, because Hinata finally speaks up. Relief floods through him, though only momentarily. “You confuse me, Kageyama.”

 

“I confuse myself, what’s your point?” Oops.

 

The look Hinata shoots him is nothing but exasperated. “Sometimes, I just feel... like I know what you think. You have this look in your eyes, but then...” Hinata trails off and Kageyama is _annoyed_.

 

“But then?” he prompts.

 

It takes almost a full minute for Hinata to respond which, frankly, freaked Kageyama out for a moment. Seeing Hinata so still is beyond unnatural.

 

Hinata scratches his head in exaggerated motions out of frustration. Kageyama wishes he would tell him what frustrates the hell out of him.

 

“If I end up shaving my head, I’m blaming you, stupid,” Hinata mutters under his breath.

 

The first reflex Kageyama wants to indulge is to tactlessly ask why, but he decides to wait it out instead of forcing words out of Hinata. If he learned any social skills from Suga, it’s that patience brings out the best possible result. Patience it is. For one minute, then two, two and a half—

 

“You’re not going to ask me why?”

 

Kageyama tries his best to quench the temptation of grabbing Hinata’s hair out of annoyance. He attempts what he hopes is a cool shrug, but judging from Hinata’s incredulous expression, it must anything but. He probably looks like he’s having an aneurysm.

 

At the least, Hinata cracks a smile. “You’re being weird, Bakageyama.”

 

It’s the first genuine smile Kageyama has seen on him after the previous few days. If the corners of Kageyama’s mouth are also lifting at the sight, it’s really on Hinata.

 

“Ah, alright,” Hinata sighs. “I still need time to figure some things out, but I’ll go to practice tomorrow.”

 

“Cool.”

 

“How angry do you think Coach Ukai and Daichi are?”

 

“Enough.”

 

Hinata bumps the side of his knee into Kageyama’s. It almost feels like getting zipped by electricity. “You’re not doing a good job of reassuring me.”

 

“It won’t be too severe, we mostly just miss you.”

 

The words come out of his mouth before Kageyama can rephrase. _We_? The only surprise Hinata hints at is the slight upturn of an eyebrow, but he only huffs out a laugh. “I don’t know if I can trust your definition of not too severe.”

 

“Probably a dozen set of flying falls and catching up on practice.”

 

Hinata winces and Kageyama suppresses the urge to do the same. When it comes to volleyball, though, there’s no complaints. It just sucks that Hinata has to do it alone.

 

There are footsteps approaching them again, but this time heavier, and Kageyama already prepares himself for the interruption. He’s not sure what exactly is being interrupted.

 

Hinata’s mother’s head pops out to smile at them. “I just heated up some taiyaki. Come on in.”

 

For some unknown reasons, Kageyama feels nervous out of a sudden. Hinata’s mother has been nothing but kind since he first came, but now he feels the need to leave good impression of himself on her. Kageyama isn’t known for leaving good impression in social situations.

 

They sit together around a dining table, and even Natsu is sitting there already. Hinata’s mother helps them pour tea before settling in her seat. Natsu still sends cautious looks Kageyama’s way, and he can’t help but be wary. And Hinata, who’s sitting right next to him, is looking way more nervous than Kageyama feels.

 

Contrary to what Kageyama may have assumed, Hinata’s mother isn’t as loud as her children, though very clearly as bright and friendly. She only asks a few questions while they each have taiyaki in their hands. It’s just the basic stuff like where Kageyama lives, what class he’s from in school, and simple things that Kageyama can easily answer.

 

The atmosphere changes significantly when Hinata’s mother tilts her head Hinata’s way a bit. “Thank you for the fruit basket, Kageyama-kun,” she says. This somehow elicits a reaction from Hinata, if the way he twitches and fidgets is any indication. “I’m not sure why you and your team think Shouyou might be unwell, but I’ll ask Shouyou that later. It’s still very thoughtful, so thank you very much.”

 

“No—” Kageyama clears his throat. Hinata is nibbling absentmindedly on his taiyaki. “No problem, Hinata-san.”

 

“Oh, no. Please call me auntie.” Next to him, Hinata chokes. Kageyama nearly does. “Any friend of Shouyou’s isn’t allowed to be so formal with me.”

 

The youngest person in the room, Natsu, is probably the only one capable of keeping her cool. Most likely because she doesn’t care much. Kageyama really wishes he was capable of having that much lack of concern.

 

“Y-yes, auntie,” Kageyama mumbles. He’s beyond grateful Hinata’s mother simply smiles and not reprimand him on his mumbling. Hinata suspiciously hasn’t made any sound or movement.

 

They resume finishing the taiyaki in—thankfully—blissful silence, though there’s still the possibility that Hinata might be dead. Natsu finishes first and quickly disappears god knows where, leaving Kageyama with Hinata and his mother.

 

Hinata finally lifts his head up after a while, precisely right after Kageyama finishes the last of his taiyaki and tea. “Mom, I’ll see Kageyama out.”

 

“Oh? It’s still pretty early. Kageyama-kun, are you not staying?”

 

“I don’t think so... I’ve been intruding enough.”

 

“Not at all! Shouyou rarely has friends over since he entered high school, we really don’t mind the company.”

 

“Ah, well... my mother is expecting home.” Which is a lie, but it’s clear Hinata wants him to leave. When Kageyama sees the woman’s face falls, he hastily adds, “I’ll stay some other time.”

 

Hinata whips his head towards Kageyama so fast, but he ignores it for the sake of seeing Hinata’s mother brighten up again. “Fair enough. Be safe on the way home, Kageyama-kun.”

 

Kageyama bows and thanks her for her hospitality before walking through the hallway to the genkan, Hinata hot on his heels. He bends down to tie his shoes while Hinata leans on the opposite wall.

 

“Sorry about that,” Hinata starts, gesturing back to the dining room. “She can get pretty overbearing.”

 

“Don’t be,” Kageyama answers and Hinata opens the door for him. “She’s nice.”

 

“Well, I’m sorry for kicking you out.”

 

“You need some time,” Kageyama supplies, which Hinata nods to. “At least text Daichi-san you’re okay, dumbass.”

 

“Since it’s you who’s telling me to do that,” Hinata retorts, with an annoyingly, infuriatingly mischievous smile playing on his lips. “Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.”

 

Kageyama rolls his eyes at him and turns around to leave, but his steps halt when Hinata calls out to him again. There’s _that_ look again. The flushed cheeks, the parted lips—there’s a bit of food on his bottom lip—and most maddening of it all: the lost but focused look in his eyes. It’s like he’s both looking somewhere far away and right into Kageyama. It’s not unlike the intimidating stare Hinata has when he’s determined, but that’s exactly where the difference lies. There’s no intimidation in this look, just somehow... yearning. It makes Kageyama’s heart thunder inside his chest.

 

“Kageyama, how do you feel about me?”

 

For the second time today, Kageyama is rendered speechless by a member of the Hinata family. This time, his heart even stops momentarily. “Huh?” is all he manages, dumbfounded.

 

“See you tomorrow, Kageyama.”

 

With the question still ringing in Kageyama’s head, Hinata closes the door.

  

 

Yearning. It’s the word Kageyama has been looking for this whole time. It fits so well with what he sees in Hinata’s eyes.

 

As Kageyama lies in his bed, he wonders, then what does it mean if the word yearning also matches Kageyama’s feelings?

 

* * *

 

 

Practice the next day, as it turns out, brings more disaster. Their coach is furious, Hinata apologizes in near tears, Yachi might already be crying, and everyone is agitated. Kageyama considers the stake of standing up for Hinata, but he feels like the guy won’t appreciate it, so he stays silent and focuses on volleyball.

 

As predicted, Hinata does get a considerable amount of flying falls and some other drill to make up on lost practice. Kageyama would be more worried if Hinata didn’t look so elated, no matter his request for their coach to lighten his punishment.

 

There’s only one loophole: Kageyama and Hinata are totally out of sync. It’s the first time after so many successful quicks, and though the coach blames it on the lack of practice, Kageyama knows better. Even after his visit, Kageyama still feels heavy and it’s extremely hard to connect with Hinata today. They both have so much on their minds that require space without the other.

 

“Kageyama! Hinata! Come here,” Coach Ukai hollers, slapping the space next to him on the bench. As they settle into their seats, he sighs. “You two really need to get your shit together. Semifinals are around the corner, I don’t want to see you playing around.”

 

“We’re not—”

 

“I don’t want to hear it. Just take care of whatever it is real soon, because I can’t let you play if your heads aren’t even in the game.”

 

It’s the most devastated Kageyama has ever felt after losing to Seijoh in Interhigh. He gets vivid flashbacks of getting benched during his last year in junior high, but though his mind is cloudy with Hinata’s words and his traumatic experience, he can see clearer now. Coach Ukai is being reasonable—Kageyama really needs to get his shit together.

 

Hinata is protesting and cajoling the coach to get himself play again.

 

“Coach, can we take a break?” Kageyama interrupts. Hinata whips his head around at him to glare, but loses most of its hostility when he sees Kageyama’s face. Their coach just waves them off and tell them not to wander too long. Some of the team members curiously glance their way as they stand up and leave, but resume practice as usual after a bark from the coach.

 

Silence is the one who greets them as they step out of the gym. It’s awkward, to say the least, shuffling around each other without a word. Even Hinata seems like he’s at loss of words, and Hinata rarely stops talking.

 

“So...”

 

“So,” they start at the same time.

 

They immediately jump into a race where they start talking before the other can, just because, and it’s so normal and familiar that the atmosphere gets instantly lots lighter. Whatever they say just end up being unintelligible, since they’re just making random noises to outdo the other.

 

Unfortunately, Kageyama loses his breath first, and he chalks it up as losing to Hinata on purpose.

 

“Oh, sure,” Hinata indulges. “Wanna go to the back of the gym?”

 

“What’s there?”

 

“Um,” Hinata hesitates. “More privacy, I guess.”

 

Just like that, the sentence is a cold splash of water in Kageyama’s face, and the nerves reside in his bones again. Distantly, he can remember feeling this jittery during that one time he walked home with Hinata. Now that everything is up in his face, including Hinata himself, it’s very hard to dismiss the feelings bubbling up inside him and to push it back down where it came from.

 

“Sure,” Kageyama mutters, mostly to cover up how shaky his voice is.

 

There’s a number of girls who confessed to him right here, behind the gym, and none of them made him feel like he’s going to jump out of his skin and weep into his hands. Though, now that Kageyama thinks about it, it’s not an entirely bad feeling. On top of the anxiety and the hesitation, he also notices the innocent curiosity, the warmth in his chest and belly, the fluttery feeling that makes him want to curl his toes—there’s a lot more good things than the bad.

 

It surprises him when Hinata plops down right on the ground and invites him to do the same.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Trying to resolve, uh, whatever it is we need to resolve.”

 

Kageyama shrugs and sits down facing Hinata. He regrets it already. It’s so uncomfortable, and not only the kind that comes from sitting on hard, rocky ground. For one reason or another, looking Hinata in the eyes _hurts_. Best to just get it over with.

 

“Hina—” Kageyama stops talking, possibly also stops breathing, when Hinata reaches out and takes one of Kageyama’s hand. Hinata’s loose grip is warm, and Kageyama sure does hope it’s just naturally how Hinata’s hand is and not Kageyama’s being cold from nerves.

 

“These fingers,” Hinata starts. “I like them. They send me the best tosses.”

 

Kageyama is sixty percent certain that his heart stops beating for a moment when Hinata brings Kageyama’s knuckles to his lips. The breath Hinata billows on the back of his hand makes him shudder involuntarily. As Hinata presses his lips against Kageyama’s knuckles, one by one, Kageyama is infinitely thankful that they’re sitting down.

 

Kageyama knows he’s doing a decent job of keeping a straight face, but there’s no denying that there are tears actually forming in his eyes.

 

Hinata moves on and extends a hand towards Kageyama’s face. Knuckles brush over his temple, his cheekbone, before one of the fingers settle between his eyebrows. “Frowns too much.”

 

The hand moves again to a spot beneath Kageyama’s jaw, before the thumb gently brush against his cheekbone. “These eyes are nice, too. Very perceptive.”

 

The last place Hinata rests his thumb upon is Kageyama’s bottom lip. Looking at Hinata, Kageyama is entranced by how enthralled Hinata is while staring hard at his lips. Hinata gives his thumb some pressure and Kageyama sighs in contentment.

 

Hinata pulls away really quick when Kageyama least expects it. “I’m so sorry—”

 

Knowing where the sentence will lead, Kageyama grabs Hinata’s wrist and effectively surprising him into silence. When Kageyama beckons him closer, Hinata obeys, though his eyes are still shaking and he’s frowning. For now, Kageyama hopes by him resting his forehead on Hinata’s will help in smoothing over the frown. They can feel each other’s breaths on each other, warm and inviting.

 

Kageyama noses the side of the bridge of Hinata’s nose. Slowly, he can feel Hinata pulling his wrist free and interlaces their fingers together instead. Their mouths are so close, their eyes are halfway closed, and just a little push—

 

“Hinata! Kageyama!”

 

The surprise of it sends both of them to bump noses— _hard_ , Kageyama might add—but before he can chicken out, he decides to press a peck at the very corner of Hinata’s lips. The tip of Hinata’s nose is red when Kageyama puts some distance between them. If the throbbing in the bridge of his nose is anything to go by, his nose must look not too different than Hinata’s.

 

Hinata is slack-jawed and his eyes are wide. But most importantly, not unhappy. Which Kageyama realizes what Hinata must feel the last few days. Unhappy and confused.

 

As much as Kageyama wants to talk it out, though he’s not keen on the idea, time won’t allow them to. Or rather, their coach, who’s still yelling their names. The Talk needs to be rescheduled. It seems after a few seconds of bewilderment, Hinata gets the memo and stands up first.

 

“...buys meat buns,” Hinata mumbles.

  
“Huh?”

 

“Loser buys meat buns!” Hinata repeats, louder, and runs before Kageyama even stands properly.

 

“Dumbass, that’s cheating!”

 

Contrary to Kageyama’s yelling, there’s a smile sitting on his lips.

 

 

Unfortunately, by the time they start practicing again, it’s clear that there’s a reason of their quick not working properly. It’s been a few days, and during those days Hinata lacks practice with the team, including Kageyama. Readjustments take a bit longer than necessary, disguised by Kageyama yelling at Hinata with empty threats and Hinata taunting him. Kageyama takes it as their own kind of flirting. If Sugawara and Daichi throws them more perplexed yet fond looks, Kageyama chooses to ignore.

 

Throughout practice, Kageyama’s head is split into two between Hinata and volleyball. It’s not hard to multitask and think about both at the same time, since to Kageyama, they’re both almost the same thing. Most time, when Kageyama rejects a girl, it’s because she will hate him for choosing volleyball over and over. With Hinata, that won’t be a problem. Hinata has always been the obvious choice for him from the start. If it weren’t for Hinata’s appearance in his life, who knows where Kageyama would be now. Probably benched again, hated by his teammates in a school he never wanted to go to.

 

The coach blows his whistle to signify the end of practice. He tells them what they need to improve, gives them a pep talk, and lets Daichi wrap it up.

 

Kageyama and Hinata gets to sweep the gym, and of course being the giggly teenagers, high in their feelings, they decide to fool around in the storage. Kageyama finds that Hinata, surprisingly, turns out to be ticklish, and Hinata, in turn, finds that Kageyama shudders when he scratches his scalp just right. It’s not effective with the other first years coming in and out, so they just cover it up as their bordering on physical banters, though their hands are linked.

 

Though Hinata was mostly joking about the meat buns thing, Kageyama mentally counts the amount of money he still has. It seems like it will be enough to buy them the good ones. If Hinata is thinking what Kageyama thinks, then today will commemorate as the first day of them getting together.

 

Kageyama even has half a mind to offer ride Hinata’s bike carrying Hinata, but he gets embarrassed even only thinking about it. They end up changing back into their uniforms and walk together. It’s tricky to hold hands while the other members are around, so they stick to pressing their shoulders as close to each other as possible.

 

Today, weirdly, Daichi doesn’t buy them meat buns, especially considering the fact that Hinata just came back to practice again. Suga seems to be involved with it, and Kageyama distracts himself from being embarrassed by focusing on the fact that he and Hinata are going to be left alone sooner.

 

Their rowdy crowd disperses in a few minutes with the exception of the other first years. Kageyama hangs back, walking a tempo slower than others with Hinata by his side. He almost has a heart attack when Yachi turns her head back at them and he has a hand fiddling with Hinata’s fingers. He, in fact, doesn’t have a heart attack, but instead peak humiliation of getting caught off guard while he’s being affectionate with Hinata.

 

The burning in his cheeks tone down a little when Yachi shoots him a knowing and—he almost bursts into tears—proud smile. She bids them goodbye when Yamaguchi and Tsukishima take a corner and she does another to reach her stop.

 

Now that they’re completely left alone, the air gets electric and Kageyama’s heart starts thumping fast and _loud_. Probably people in their homes can hear the erratic beats of his heart. Kageyama silently thanks all the gods that he’s not holding Hinata’s hand anymore, because the palms of his hands are unattractively sweaty.

 

They stop by a shop for the promised meat buns, and seeing Hinata’s unsolicited joy brings warmth to every part of his body even the tips of his fingers and toes. They sit together on the wooden long chair by the shop’s front door. It’s deserted and dark enough for them to feel secure sitting so close, pressed up against each other and casually munching on their respective buns.

 

Hinata’s company alone sends Kageyama to a state of peace and joy so profound. He brushed it off so many times before, thinking the fondness he reserves for Hinata is simply because Hinata is the closest friend he’s ever had. The one who helps him open up, sees what he really is, and still accepts him the way he is.

 

But of course, it’s something more than that, and it’s almost unbearably fortunate for Kageyama that Hinata feels the same way.

 

They finish their meat buns and Hinata starts to chatter mindlessly. The shop owner lets them have privacy and not once peek on them or tell them to leave. The wooden chair is the last thing Kageyama would call comfortable, but with Hinata pressing up his side talking about anything and everything, it’s the best he’s felt in a while.

 

Memories of him feelings things that he didn’t understand yet present themselves to him. It now has a word and Kageyama’s mouth is still too sharp around the edges to express it to anything except volleyball, so he just hopes Hinata knows that.

 

When Hinata turns to him, it almost feels like dams breaking. All at once. The feelings; desire, yearning, overwhelming fondness. It hits him with no mercy. Whatever his eyes reveals to Hinata, Hinata doesn’t back away from it, no matter how intense. He meets Kageyama halfway and every single breath Kageyama held his entire fifteen years of living is exhaled.

 

The center of his consciousness is Hinata’s lips under his. His hand automatically comes up to cup Hinata’s jaw and the other burying themselves in Hinata’s hair. He’s distantly aware of his shirt all bunched up inside Hinata’s fist—warm and firm—pressed against his stomach and the other fist is absently tugging at his hair.

 

It’s when Kageyama’s fingers scrape the shaved part of his hair that Hinata pulls away for a second, seemingly to take a breath, before going back in and this time, he gently bites Kageyama’s bottom lip. It takes him by surprise, his breath precariously held, and this time Kageyama leans back with ragged breaths.

 

“Didn’t notice you shaved your head again.”

 

Hinata self-consciously rubs the back of his head, but Kageyama grabs the wrist to stop him and places a peck on his lips. “I like it.”

 

The one millisecond embarrassing confidence vanishes as quick as it came, and before he can say that he _also_ likes Hinata, he sees how bright Hinata smiles from it and realizes that the kissing is almost as nice as making Hinata smile. The most surprising thing is how Kageyama looks forward to doing both of those things again. The confessions can wait when it comes to Hinata, he knows what goes on in Kageyama’s head, anyways.

 

After packing up and thanking the shop owner, they finally leave. And like many times before and the time to come, they walk home together.

**Author's Note:**

> talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/lgbtodoroki) or [tumblr](https://todorokiyo.tumblr.com/) if u want lads


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